1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image record apparatus for copying information from a display used with an office automation (OA) machine, an information communication terminal, a POS terminal, etc. and a record medium such as paper, an image record method used with the image record apparatus, an image record medium holder, and an image record medium onto which information is written.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a display panel formed using a plastic film substrate of a polymer film, etc., has fully showed as a display, etc., of a hand-held electronic machine, the advantages that the display panel is thin and lightweight and can be bent in comparison with a display panel formed using a glass substrate.
Most of all, attention is focused on a liquid crystal display device using a composite of self-hold liquid crystal comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal dispersed in a transparent resin material and a resin because the liquid crystal display device has a stable memory property and can produce high-definition display by simple matrix drive without the need for an active drive circuit required for TFT liquid crystal, etc.
Particularly, the liquid crystal display device provided by making use of a light dispersion mode of a cholesteric liquid crystal capable of providing a high reflection contrast in a light reception type display to provide compatibility between high-speed display and high resolution is free of flicker and thus produces easy-to-see display and makes user's eyes hard to get tired, so that it satisfies the need for being easy on eyes of human beings. In addition, it can memorize the display contents and moreover can display and store information with no power supply and thus also satisfies the need for energy conservation and being friendly to the environment.
Further, a system wherein a composite of self-hold liquid crystal and a resin and a photoconductor are combined into an image record medium and a voltage is applied to the image record medium and exposure light is also applied for displaying a visible image is predominant as a printer, etc., using an image record medium in place of paper and is also predominant as a tool for innovating the former mode in which a hardcopy of information displayed on an electronic display is made before the information is read, and can also realize resource savings and waste reduction by making the most of the feature of being reusable.
Assuming that the user sees the image record medium using liquid crystal with the medium picked up like paper and carries the image record medium with the hand, it is considered that if a record apparatus for applying a voltage to the image record medium and applying exposure light to the image record medium to write information and the image record medium are made separatable for use, the convenience is enhanced.
However, if the image record medium and the record apparatus are separated, the image record medium holds only the currently recorded information like a paper medium and full use of the feature of being repeatedly rewritable is not made.
On the other hand, the record apparatus for applying exposure light while applying a voltage requires both a light emission section for applying exposure light to an image displayed on an image display body including a luminous, electronic display for displaying image information or on a translucent material from behind and a voltage application section for applying a voltage to an image record medium and thus it is not easy to configure the record apparatus as a portable type.
JP-A-Hei. 11-237644 discloses a method of sequentially exposing while moving a laser beam and a light emitting diode array to miniaturize an image record apparatus of an image record medium.
According to the method, it is not necessary to expose the full face of an image record medium at a time and thus the light application section can be miniaturized, thereby miniaturizing the whole image record apparatus.
In this disclosed method, however, writing image information to an image record medium is slowed down and thus the need for displaying image information at high speed cannot be satisfied; this is a problem.
To rewrite new image information onto an image record medium separated from the image record apparatus, the user involves a burdensome procedure of bringing the image record medium into a location where the image record apparatus is placed, setting the image record medium in the image record apparatus, and exposing while applying a voltage. Further, to record the same or different image information on a plurality of image record media and distribute the image record media to a plurality of persons or locations, the burdensome procedure of setting one image record medium at a time in the image record apparatus and applying a voltage to each image record medium and exposing it is also involved. It is considered that the burdensome step of setting an image record medium in the image record apparatus is not eliminated if the image record apparatus is miniaturized to a portable size. To stack a plurality of image record media on each other and expose the image record media from the same light exposure unit for writing an image, it is necessary not only to provide the compatibility between a function of shielding the scene and a function of transmitting exposure light, but also to record an image of similar contrast on each of the stacked image record media.
A sheet enabling an image to be recorded not only on one side, but also on double sides and an image record apparatus for recording an image on both sides of the sheet has been developed.
For example, JP-A-Hei. 5-165002 discloses a double-sided record sheet and a double-sided image record apparatus for recording an image on both sides of the record sheet.
FIG. 17 is a drawing to show the double-sided image record apparatus disclosed in JP-A-5-165002.
In FIG. 17, the double-sided image record apparatus comprises an image record medium 100, light exposure units 102A and 102B, voltage application unit 103, and electrodes 112A and 112B. The image record medium 100 comprises an electrode 112C, substrates 111A and 111B formed on both sides of the electrode 112C and image record layers 104A and 104B for indicating a transparent state and an opaque state depending on light beams different in wavelength in a specific frequency electric field. The image record layer 104A, 104B uses a material including polymeric liquid crystal, monomeric liquid crystal, and photosensitive molecules.
However, when an image recorded on the surface of the image record medium with images recorded on both sides is observed, if the image recorded on the back or the scene through the medium is seen through the surface, the visibility and the display quality of the image are impaired remarkably. Then, it is common practice to place a light shield member between the image record layers on the surface and the back of the medium so that the image on one side is not seen through the other. In the disclosed double-sided image record apparatus, the electrode 112C comprising a metal-evaporated layer and a resin with metal powder or carbon dispersed corresponds substantially to the light shield member.
If such a light shield member is placed, however, light from light exposure unit is also shielded and thus it is necessary to place light exposure unit on both sides of the image record medium or reverse the image record medium after exposing one side to expose the other; there is a problem of upsizing the image record apparatus and increasing the cost.